Patentable/Patents/US-11128150
US-11128150

Charge controlling system

PublishedSeptember 21, 2021
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

When interruption of electric service occurs, each of a number of electric actuators forcibly drives a motor using electric energy stored in an electricity storing portion and returns a valve to a predetermined opening position. When receiving a charge start command from a host device, each of the electric actuators starts the charging of the electricity storing portion. The host device divides the electric actuators into groups according to predetermined priority of charging and transmits charge start commands to the electric actuators for each of the groups in order of the priority.

Patent Claims
10 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A charge controlling system, comprising: a plurality of electric actuators that are connected to a single power supply system; and a host device that controls charging of the plurality of electric actuators, wherein each of the actuators comprises an opening degree controlling portion that controls an opening degree of a valve according to an opening degree target value when the actuator is energized by receiving electric power from the power supply system, an electricity storing portion that stores electric energy, a charging portion that charges the electricity storing portion when the actuator is energized, a return controlling portion that operates the valve to a predetermined opening position using the electric energy stored in the electricity storing portion when interruption of electric service occurs and the electric power from the power supply system is interrupted, and a charge controlling portion that causes the charging portion to start charging of the electricity storing portion when receiving a charge start command from the host device, and a charge completion response transmitting portion that transmits a charge completion response to the host device when the electricity storing portion has been charged, wherein the host device comprises a sorting portion that divides the plurality of electric actuators into groups according to a priority of charging, a charge start command transmitting portion that transmits the charge start command to the electric actuators for each of the groups in an order of the priority of charging, and a charge completion response receiving portion that receives the charge completion response from the electric actuators, and wherein the charge start command transmitting portion of the host device transmits the charge start command to the electric actuators in one of the groups that has a second highest priority after receiving the charge completion response from all of the electric actuators to which the charge start command has been transmitted.

2

2. The charge controlling system according to claim 1 , wherein the sorting portion divides the plurality of electric actuators into the groups so that a total current flowing from the power supply system to the electric actuators being charged is equal to or less than a maximum allowable current capacity value and the electric actuators having a higher priority are charged earlier.

3

3. The charge controlling system according to claim 1 , wherein the sorting portion divides the plurality of electric actuators into the groups so that a total time required to charge the plurality of electric actuators is equal to or less than a maximum allowable charge time and the electric actuators having a higher priority are charged earlier.

4

4. A charge controlling system, comprising: a plurality of electric actuators that are connected to a single power supply system; and a host device that controls charging of the plurality of electric actuators, wherein each of the actuators comprises an opening degree controlling portion that controls an opening degree of a valve according to an opening degree target value when the actuator is energized by receiving electric power from the power supply system, an electricity storing portion that stores electric energy, a charging portion that charges the electricity storing portion when the actuator is energized, a return controlling portion that operates the valve to a predetermined opening position using the electric energy stored in the electricity storing portion when interruption of electric service occurs and the electric power from the power supply system is interrupted, and a charge controlling portion that causes the charging portion to start charging of the electricity storing portion when receiving a charge start command from the host device, wherein the host device comprises a sorting portion that divides the plurality of electric actuators into groups according to a priority of charging, and a charge start command transmitting portion that transmits the charge start command to the electric actuators for each of the groups in an order of the priority of charging, and wherein the sorting portion divides the plurality of electric actuators into the groups so that a total current flowing from the power supply system to the electric actuators being charged is equal to or less than a maximum allowable current capacity value and the electric actuators having a higher priority are charged earlier.

5

5. A charge controlling system, comprising: a plurality of electric actuators that are connected to a single power supply system; and a host device that controls charging of the plurality of electric actuators, wherein each of the actuators comprises an opening degree controlling portion that controls an opening degree of a valve according to an opening degree target value when the actuator is energized by receiving electric power from the power supply system, an electricity storing portion that stores electric energy, a charging portion that charges the electricity storing portion when the actuator is energized, a return controlling portion that operates the valve to a predetermined opening position using the electric energy stored in the electricity storing portion when interruption of electric service occurs and the electric power from the power supply system is interrupted, and a charge controlling portion that causes the charging portion to start charging of the electricity storing portion when receiving a charge start command from the host device, wherein the host device comprises a sorting portion that divides the plurality of electric actuators into groups according to a priority of charging, and a charge start command transmitting portion that transmits the charge start command to the electric actuators for each of the groups in an order of the priority of charging, and wherein the sorting portion divides the plurality of electric actuators into the groups so that a total time required to charge the plurality of electric actuators is equal to or less than a maximum allowable charge time and the electric actuators having a higher priority are charged earlier.

6

6. A charge controlling system comprising: a plurality of electric actuators that are connected to a single power supply system; and a host device that controls charging of the plurality of electric actuators, wherein each of the actuators comprises an opening degree controlling portion that controls an opening degree of a valve according to an opening degree target value when the actuator is energized by receiving electric power from the power supply system, an electricity storing portion that stores electric energy, a charging portion that charges the electricity storing portion when the actuator is energized, a return controlling portion that operates the valve to a predetermined opening position using the electric energy stored in the electricity storing portion when the electric power is shut off and interruption of electric service occurs and the electric power from the power supply system is interrupted, a charge controlling portion that causes the charging portion to start charging of the electricity storing portion when receiving a charge start command from the host device, and a charge completion response transmitting portion that transmits a charge completion response to the host device when the electricity storing portion has been charged, and wherein the host device comprises a charge unit count calculating portion that calculates a maximum number of the electric actuators to be charged at a time based on a maximum allowable current capacity value or a maximum allowable charge time, and a charge start command transmitting portion that transmits the charge start command to the maximum number of the electric actuators in an order of a priority of charging, the charge start command transmitting portion transmitting the charge start command to an additional number of the electric actuators, based on a number of the electric actuators from which the charge completion response is received, in the order of the priority of charging among the electric actuators that have not been charged when receiving the charge completion response.

7

7. The charge controlling system according to claim 6 , wherein the charge unit count calculating portion calculates the maximum number so that a total current flowing from the power supply system to the electric actuators being charged is equal to or less than the maximum allowable current capacity value.

8

8. The charge controlling system according to claim 6 , wherein the charge unit count calculating portion calculates the maximum number so that a total time required to charge the plurality of electric actuators is equal to or less than the maximum allowable charge time.

9

9. The charge controlling system according to claim 4 , wherein the charge start command transmitting portion of the host device transmits the charge start command to the electric actuators in one of the groups with a second highest priority when a predetermined charge time elapses after transmitting the charge start command to the electric actuators in another group with a first highest priority.

10

10. The charge controlling system according to claim 5 , wherein the charge start command transmitting portion of the host device transmits the charge start command to the electric actuators in one of the groups with a second highest priority when a predetermined charge time elapses after transmitting the charge start command to the electric actuators in another group with a first highest priority.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

August 2, 2018

Publication Date

September 21, 2021

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Cite as: Patentable. “Charge controlling system” (US-11128150). https://patentable.app/patents/US-11128150

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